Help with Long term storage in mason Jars

[needhelpgrowing]

I just finished my first grow and let it dry on a string for 5 days and then moved it to mason jars yesterday. I have been opening them for a few minute twice a day but was wondering what is the best method for long term storage nad how do i know when its ok to seal them up for good?

Also any tips on preventing mold? That is my #1 prority. Id much rather have poor tasting buds due to bad curing than risk mold. One of the reasons I am so concered is that in my closet I had a plastic bag with all the leaves to make hash. I noticed when mixing it around today there was mold in the bag so i tossed it all. All the buds in the jars appear to be fine although one jar has a strange smell, but it may just be the jar. It isn't really a bad smell just kinda odd, and no where near as bad as the smell from the bag that had the mold. Any tips on storage especially the prevention of mold are appreciated.

 

[slomoking13]

Mold is a touchy subject... you have to watch out for it but you don't want to dry the buds to the point where they will crumble to powder. I would say as long as the buds are still "spongy feeling" or moist, keep opening the jars a few times a day. You can even pour the buds out on a piece of paper or something so they are all spread out and exposed to air. Opening the jars won't help if the buds are all clung together in the bottom. clumped buds will cause moisture to build up and it will get moldy even if you open the jars all the time. Happened to me and i lost a half ounce of chocolope last harvest. Once the buds are no longer spongy and are completely dried (about a week or two max), you can go ahead and leave them sealed in the jars and maybe crack them once every few days for the first week after that to make sure everything is fine. Basically, just make sure you keep opening the jars and shuffling the buds around until they are pretty dense (hardened up) and a little crispy feeling.

 

[whiteflour]

Mold occurs when you didn't dry it enough before bagging, or let it sit too long in one place. Air it out some more it's probably not done.

 

[needhelpgrowing]

Well the buds I did air out and dry and they seem pretty dry. It was the leaves I cut for hash. I threw them in a plastic and let them sit which clearly didnt work. So far the buds have no mold and are pretty dry the to the touch. I just checked on them and they feel dry. I tried to space out the stuff in the jars as much as I can and I do shuffle it around every time I open it.

 

[slomoking13]

Well the buds I did air out and dry and they seem pretty dry. It was the leaves I cut for hash. I threw them in a plastic and let them sit which clearly didnt work. So far the buds have no mold and are pretty dry the to the touch. I just checked on them and they feel dry. I tried to space out the stuff in the jars as much as I can and I do shuffle it around every time I open it.

Drying can be decieving sometimes. Curing is really a slow drying process. When you initially hang dry your plants, the outside is dried a lot more than the inside of the bud. Curing allows the moisture from the inside of the bud to slowly creep out until the air inside the jar has moisture in it as well. You "burp" the jars to allow the moist air out and fresh dry air to come in and keep repeating the process until the buds are at a moisture level that they can be stored at for long term.

 

[homebrewer]

Slomoking is dead on. You want to hang dry until your product is dry to the touch. Then bag or jar your goods. Over 24 hours, your product will sweat which is the moisture from the inner part working it's way out. If you don't open your lids for a few minutes each day, you most likely get mold after an amount of time. Just stay on it and you'll be fine.

 

[Denofearth69]

A suggestion regarding your lost leaves. When I cure my plants, I put all leaf materials in a plastic tote with a lid. These don't seal completely, but should still be opened occasionally while drying is taking place. Tote also makes it easy to tumble the leaves to prevent wet spots from occurring. putting fresh leaves in a plastic bag, is basically creating a miniature compost pile, as the moisture will concentrate itself within the bulk of the material, and begin decomposition of which molds are one of the primary decomposers, especially in air tight environments. Ever turn over leaves or pine needles in the forest? What do you see? Lots of molds and fungi. In a controlled compost pile, which is being turned daily, air is introduced which retards mold growth, while stimulating microbial decomposition. Oh, and another advantage of plastic totes is that any kief that falls off of leaves is contained and easily retrieved.

 

[slomoking13]

A suggestion regarding your lost leaves. When I cure my plants, I put all leaf materials in a plastic tote with a lid. These don't seal completely, but should still be opened occasionally while drying is taking place. Tote also makes it easy to tumble the leaves to prevent wet spots from occurring. putting fresh leaves in a plastic bag, is basically creating a miniature compost pile, as the moisture will concentrate itself within the bulk of the material, and begin decomposition of which molds are one of the primary decomposers, especially in air tight environments. Ever turn over leaves or pine needles in the forest? What do you see? Lots of molds and fungi. In a controlled compost pile, which is being turned daily, air is introduced which retards mold growth, while stimulating microbial decomposition. Oh, and another advantage of plastic totes is that any kief that falls off of leaves is contained and easily retrieved.

good tip, never thought of it. I could pour my ice water in the tub to collect the resin glands that fall off and then just empty the tub into the bubble bags and add more ice! It's funny how you do things a certain way for so long that you just don't think about doing anything else haha +rep for you

 

[needhelpgrowing]

Thanks for the tips. I was just thinking, I have a temp/humidity reader with a dangling metal thing I can use to read in a certain area. I was going to try dangling it in my jar at various times (after overnight closed, after a few minutes or airing out etc). What should I be looking for humidity wise from these readings? And I assume if they are too high I open it more correct?

 

[needhelpgrowing]

Also id much rather make a mistake on the side off too dry vs moldy so right now I am opening jars 2-3 minutes twice a day. If I up that to 15 minutes three times a day that should greatly decrease my chance for mold right? I refuse to let mold steal my baby, id much rather it be harsh smoke that even the slightest chance of mold.

 

[slomoking13]

It's never going to hurt to open up the jar once a day and shuffle the buds even if they are dried and cured... as long as you are storing the buds in the jar, they won't really dry up to the point where they crumble and fall apart unless it's for years. I continue curing my harvest as long as it takes me to smoke it all. I have buds that have been sitting in jars for over 6 months and they get opened pretty frequently as i decide to smoke. The whole reason the plant produces resin glands is to protect the plant from drying out too much. That's also why cannabis is somewhat suited for more dry warm environments (california's dry heat!). The resin glands form a "protective" layer so the plant won't dry out. It just so happens the resin contains cannabinoids which get you high. Furthermore, it's why the optimal humidity ranges are between 40 and 50 percent, the plant produces more resin this way and it's not too dry where the plant can't flourish. Sorry for the rambling on resin glands, just felt it was kind of relevant information to help you understand the curing process. Thc levels are basically at their highest when all of the excess moisture is removed that is not locked into the bud as part of it's "structural composition" if you will. At this point, the resin will preserve the buds pretty efficiently and you can continue curing/storing the buds in jars or air locked container without worrying about mold. I'd say if you have buds that dry up and crumble it's because you left them hanging too long, not because they were cured in jars for too long. So long story short, as long as you dried them enough before you went to jars, you should be alright if you just continue to pop the jars open and shuffle the buds around.

 

[needhelpgrowing]

It's never going to hurt to open up the jar once a day and shuffle the buds even if they are dried and cured... as long as you are storing the buds in the jar, they won't really dry up to the point where they crumble and fall apart unless it's for years. I continue curing my harvest as long as it takes me to smoke it all. I have buds that have been sitting in jars for over 6 months and they get opened pretty frequently as i decide to smoke. The whole reason the plant produces resin glands is to protect the plant from drying out too much. That's also why cannabis is somewhat suited for more dry warm environments (california's dry heat!). The resin glands form a "protective" layer so the plant won't dry out. It just so happens the resin contains cannabinoids which get you high. Furthermore, it's why the optimal humidity ranges are between 40 and 50 percent, the plant produces more resin this way and it's not too dry where the plant can't flourish. Sorry for the rambling on resin glands, just felt it was kind of relevant information to help you understand the curing process. Thc levels are basically at their highest when all of the excess moisture is removed that is not locked into the bud as part of it's "structural composition" if you will. At this point, the resin will preserve the buds pretty efficiently and you can continue curing/storing the buds in jars or air locked container without worrying about mold. I'd say if you have buds that dry up and crumble it's because you left them hanging too long, not because they were cured in jars for too long. So long story short, as long as you dried them enough before you went to jars, you should be alright if you just continue to pop the jars open and shuffle the buds around.

Thanks that was very helpful. I will just keep shuffling them around and opening frequently, it is my first grow so I really don't want to screw it up at this point. Also I understand fully what you mean about THC being higher after moisture is out. I tried to smoke some right after i cut it and 2 bowls got me a little high, then i took two hits after 5 days of drying and I could barely stand.

Also i have seen varying comments though on how long to leave the jar open. Everything from 10 seconds to 3 hours. Any ideas here?

 

[whiteflour]

It really doesn't matter you're just looking to exchange the air. Leaving it open longer would be "drying" not "curing".

 

[whiteflour]

As to the mold thing you probably just dried it too fast. When that happens the outside will feel dry and fine, but the center is still very moist. I usually dry for a few days on the stem hanging with a fan circulating, keeping humidity around 50-60% is best.

After 2-3 days and the stems start to crack I remove the buds from the stalks and put them in large ziplock bags, which are left open. The plastic bags go inside of a paper sack which is then closed and kept in the same drying area. This will bring out any moisture left in the center.

Once a day I open the sack and toss the buds around, and after about a week they move to their permanent curing container.

 

[needhelpgrowing]

As to the mold thing you probably just dried it too fast. When that happens the outside will feel dry and fine, but the center is still very moist. I usually dry for a few days on the stem hanging with a fan circulating, keeping humidity around 50-60% is best.

After 2-3 days and the stems start to crack I remove the buds from the stalks and put them in large ziplock bags, which are left open. The plastic bags go inside of a paper sack which is then closed and kept in the same drying area. This will bring out any moisture left in the center.

Once a day I open the sack and toss the buds around, and after about a week they move to their permanent curing container.

Yea I haven't really had a mold problem yet. Just the leaves that were all in a bag right after I cut it, the rest of the buds were hung to dry and appear fine. Only one bud had a slight problem and it was the one that was separate from the rest since i tried to smoke it right after I cut the plant. I never properly dried it and it was just sitting in a ziplock alone. It got a tiny bit of mold which i cut off and any possible touching area and now its hanging properly while the rest are in the jar.

As long as the stuff in the jar stays fine, ill be happy.